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Native Plant SocietyExecutive Board
PRESIDENTAntonio Federici
129A Barnett StreetBoonton, NJ 07005
VICE PRESIDENTRobert L. Swain
Box 400Clarksburg, NJ 08510
SECRETARY/CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Bunny JaskotMilltown NJ [email protected]
TREASURER, MEMBERSHIPPeggie Leifeste
Matawan , NJ 07747(732) 583-2768
RECORDING SECRETARYPat Eisemann
Manalapan, NJ [email protected]
NEWSLETTER EDITORBill Young
631 Wright DeBow RoadJackson, NJ 08527
HORTICULTURISTHubert Ling, PhD
Bridgewater NJ [email protected]
The Native Plant Society of New Jerseywww.npsnj.org Summer 2006 Issue
President’s MessageIt brings me happiness to write these letters and share what our volunteers
are up to along with my corny stories of the season. This summer newsletter isan all time high, really making me feel confident and excited about the future.
It all started with some talk around pizza at one of our normal monthlymeetings in Jackson. We’ve discussed a lot about working with nurseries topromote stocking native plants, creating the official NPSNJ definition of what is“native,” and how to reach out more to the communities that request speakersand advice. We’ve been really interested in gaining local/widespread help ratherthan having to solely depend on the core Jackson group. It’s a big state and wesometimes miss key issues due to a lack of presence in a particular nook of NJ.
In April, Dr. Hubert Ling and I set up a table at the Morris County Earth Daycelebration where we talked to a number of people visiting and other folkspresenting tables. Around that time I had also given a few talks in Bergen Countywhere I was surprised to find so many folks turning out to hear about RainGardens. Between the names and emails I picked up in Bergen and the hugeinterest in Morris County, we were off to a great start for a Northern NJ chapter.
We are proud to report that we now have a fully functional, stand up and beproud of, Northern Jersey Chapter of the NPSNJ! We have had three meetings(as of July) and next month (August) this group will elect its own leadership andinfrastructure. You should all be proud! These folks were already working hardto promote, preserve and plant natives and we were lucky enough to get themto bring this support into the NPSNJ. Over the next year and years to come, youwill get to know many of them through reports on chapter initiatives, newslettercontributions and outreach.
You will find articles in this and upcoming newsletters from Sandy Goodsonwho was so kind to renovate our somewhat lacking list of butterfly attractingplants. You will also hear more from Rob Jennings who has a long track record ofnative plant restoration working for the Morris County Park Commission.
I am also so thankful for the continued support from Kathy Salisbury andMike DeVos. They hosted the June meeting of NPSNJ at the Greater NewarkConservancy. This one acre oasis garden was built in the middle of Newark withtheir hard work and design and volunteer help and donations! They are aninspiration and the many different gardens they created make a habitat andpeaceful place for people and wildlife to rest and rejuvenate.
Thank you as well to Morris County folks for hosting the July and Augustmeetings. Rob Jennings and Douglas Vorolieff guided us through their butterflygarden and wild spaces. The first two Northern Chapter meetings had 16 peoplein attendance offering great insight and personal volunteer time. The third meetinghad 26, yes twenty-six folks attend and we nominated committees and startedtoward elections. We are on our way!!!
So to all who continue to support NPSNJ around the state, we are thankfuland have not forgotten your generous donations, encouraging letters, emails,and volunteer time!!
Thank you,Tony
Page 2 Native Plant Society of New Jersey SUMMER 2006
UPCOMINGEVENTS
August 9, 2006WEED BUSTERS INVASIVE
PLANT CONFERENCEThe Frelinghuysen Arboretum
53 East Hanover Ave.PO Box 1295, Morristown, NJ
$50 (mail-inregistration required)
August 12, 2006BUTTERFLY FESTIVALStony Brook-MillstoneWatershed Association
Pennington, NJPhone: (609) 737-3735
Websitewww.thewatershed.org
August 19, 2006NATIVE PLANT
SEMINAR & SALEIrvine Nature Center
Stevenson, MDPhone: (410) 484-2413
Website:www.explorenature.org
October 1, 2006CATTUS ISLAND
NATURE FESTIVALCattus Island County Park
Toms River, NJPhone: (732) 270-6960
Website:www.oceancountyparks.org
October 1, 2006PINELANDS
DISCOVERY FESTIVALPinelands
Preservation AlliancePhone: (609) 859-8860
WEBSITE:www.pinelandsalliance.org
In the ring of biodiversity, foxglove beardtongue is taking a beating.Great blue lobelia is on the ropes.Those and other native New Jersey wildflowers, shrubs, grasses and
sedges have long been getting the squeeze from invasive greenery —Japanese barberry, Wineberry, Oriental bittersweet, Multiflora rose, toname a few.
Rob Jennings, the superintendent of natural resources managementfor the Morris County Park Commission, has seen it happen. So over ayear ago he came up with a plan to level the playing field and give thosenative plants a place to flourish.
A small place. One-third of an acre in Lewis Morris Park just west ofMorristown. A grassy spot enclosed by plastic fencing on the shoulderof Doe Meadow Road.
Emile DeVito, manager of science with the New Jersey ConservationFoundation, said the park commission should be applauded. Besidesland conservancy groups, only Morris and Monmouth county parkcommissions are taking such steps to save native plant species, hesaid.
“If we don’t provide a refuge for these native plants, then we aregoing to lose all of our biodiversity,” DeVito said.
Jennings agreed, adding, “If you want a quick fix, native plants aren’tit. Native plants take a while to get established. But once they do, youare set. We call it lazy landscaping. No water. No fertilizer. You plant itand walk away,” Jennings said, noting he does spend time yanking outnon-native plants.
Why plant the meadow? Jennings has a few reasons: Meadows reducestormwater runoff, improving water quality and reducing erosion.Canada geese don’t like them. Butterflies and birds do. Deer prefer turfgrass. Maintenance costs are minimal. And it looks nice.
“In the web of life, these plants serve a purpose,” Jennings said.That purpose is interdependence. Take the milkweeds, for example.
The sap is poisonous to most species. Not the monarch butterfly. Birdstend to avoid the butterfly because the milkweeds give the insect abad taste, Jennings said.
The meadow project’s cost was minimal, about $4,600.In October, 30 volunteers cleared the spot for the meadow and the
seeds were planted with spacing roughly about 2 feet. All told, 60shrubs and 950 wildflowers, grasses, sedges with grand names suchas foxglove beardtongue, lance-leafed goldenrod, dwarf blue flag iris,purple giant hyssop, great blue lobelia, blue false indigo and turk’s-caplily.
Native plants find homeand future in a meadow
Sunday, July 09, 2006
continued on page 6
Native Plant Society of New Jersey Page 3SUMMER 2006
Many of us know by now that non-native invasive plant species are “bad”for our natural communities, however it is easy to not think about why wefeel that way. Lest we forget, amidst a fury against Purple Loosestrife or Treeof Heaven, these plants have been carried from their own native homes toflourish here in NJ quite often by people. While these invasives are tenaciousand opportunistic, they are also taking root most frequently through thedoors that we have left open for them.
From land use practices that leave our native soils barren to our owndesire to spread our populations and travel (unwittingly bringing invasiveseeds along with us), we are constantly leaving these doors wide open whereinvasives are happy thrive.
The following excerpt, taken from the 2004 publication titled “AnOverview of Nonindigenous Species in New Jersey,” reminds us of what’sat stake. For the full text, go to NJDEP’s Natural Heritage Program Web site:http://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/natural/heritage/
“It is difficult to summarize how much is lost to invasivenonindigenous plants in New Jersey. There are few estimates of theimpact invasive species have on New Jersey’s natural plantcommunities or on ecosystem properties. Determining the effects of asingle species can require several years of field experiments. Most ofthe money spent on control of invasives is included in generalvegetation management budgets of state and county parks systems.The best way to describe the environmental and economic costsassociated with invasive nonindigenous plants in New Jersey is toillustrate the impacts with several examples.
Wetlands: New Jersey’s wetlands are especially vulnerable to invasion bynonindigenous plants, and the economic costs of invasion are high. Effectsof nonindigenous species in freshwater wetlands have been magnifiedbecause of the historically widespread alteration and disturbances of theseecosystems (Williams and Meffe 1998). One of the major threats towetlands in New Jersey is purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria.). It severelythreatens the biodiversity of wetlands by forming dense monocultures thatexclude indigenous plants and alter wildlife habitat. Nationally, purpleloosestrife covers about 400,000 acres and costs nearly $45 million a yearin control costs and lost forage for wildlife (USFWS 1998). In New Jersey, itoccupies wetlands in nearly every county, but is particularly invasive inwestern and northern New Jersey (D. Snyder, personal observation). Onehundred thousand dollars per year is spent on biological control of purpleloosestrife in New Jersey, mostly funded by the State (B. Chianese, pers.comm.). Some money also comes from the United States Department ofAgriculture (USDA), Natural Resource Conservation Program’s WildlifeHabitat Incentive Program (WHIP), for preservation of bog-turtle habitatthreatened by purple loosestrife. Two species of beetles have been introduced
continued on page 4
THE “WHY” of INVASIVES
NativePlants in the
Home LandscapeMean Survival toMigrating BirdsJust as a truck driver finds all
the good rest stops along thehighway, migrating birds find thebackyard that have native plants. As forested areas become morefragmented, a backyard that hasnative plants such as viburnums,and service berries, mean makingto the breeding or winteringgrounds or never making it at all.
Birds like the Ruby ThroatedHummingbird will return to thesame yards and to the sameplants they visited the yearbefore. Organizations such asNational Audubon Society andNational Wildlife Federationrecognize how importantbackyard habitats are to wildlife,and have devoted a large part oftheir resources to promotingnative plants in the backyard. Byusing natives in the homelandscape, no matter how smallor large, your yard will become anintegral part of a birds survival.
Mike DeVos guided the June Meetingof the Northern Chapter of NPSNJ
around the beautiful oasis atGreater Newark Conservancy.
Page 4 Native Plant Society of New Jersey SUMMER 2006
as biological control agents at eight sites inNew Jersey on state lands (B. Chianese, pers.comm.). Among them are the Black RiverNatural Area in Morris County andWhittingham Natural Area in Sussex County.Eleven additional introductions are planned onState and private lands. Biological control isalso being used at Great Swamp and WallkillNational Wildlife Refuges in Morris and Sussexcounties. (B. Chianese, pers. comm.).
Uplands: Upland habitats, frequently coveredby diverse hard-wood and coniferous forests,are invaded by many nonindigenous species.Three of the most invasive species are autumnolive (Eleagnus umbellata), multiflora rose (Rosamultiflora), and Japanese barberry (Berberisthunbergii). All three species were introducedas ornamental plants, and autumn olive andJapanese barberry are often still used inornamental, highway, and wildlife plantings.Autumn olive and Japanese barberry maydirectly or indirectly cause changes in soilchemistry in invaded areas because they arenitrogen-fixers (Sather and Eckardt 1987;Kourtev, et al. 1998). Multiflora rose formsdense, impenetrable thickets, and can lowercrop yields in adjacent fields (Eckardt 1987).Funding from the Federal government throughthe Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP)is being used in three projects in New Jerseyfor controlling multiflora rose and barberry.WHIP has also provided Monmouth Countywith $10,000 for removal of multiflora rose oneight acres of county-owned land. At this time,there are no state or federally funded projectsin New Jersey focusing on removal of autumnolive.
Lakes and Rivers: Nonindigenous aquaticplants that grow in New Jersey’s lakes andrivers restrict swimming, boating, fishing, andother activities that depend on openwaterways. They reduce the diversity ofindigenous aquatic plants and are of less value
The Why of Invasivescontinued from page 3
as a food source for waterfowl. Oxygen levels in the water aredepleted as the thick vegetation of nonindigenous aquatic plantspecies senesce. Two of the most invasive aquatic plants in NewJersey are Eurasian water-milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) andcurly-leaf pondweed (Potamogeton crispus). Both occur in mostof the major watersheds in New Jersey. Control of aquatic plantsis difficult. Herbicides are dangerous to nontargeted indigenousaquatic plants and other organisms. Mechanical weed harvestersare also used, but they must be used repeatedly to control theplants and they also can have negative effects on nontargetedspecies. Snyder (2000) has speculated that three state listedendangered plant species (Armoracia lacustris, Megalodonta beckii,Myriophyllum sibiricum) may have been inadvertently extirpatedfrom Swartswood Lake State Park as a result of efforts to eradicatean infestation of Eurasian water-milfoil. Swartswood State Parkis currently testing a biological control agent, a weevil, on Eurasianwater-milfoil, in addition to harvesting. The 1996 New JerseyBond Act provided $5 million dollars for lake management,including funding for aquatic plant control programs in severallakes.”
* * *Snyder, David and Sylvan R. Kaufman. 2004. An overview of
nonindigenous plant species in New Jersey. New JerseyDepartment of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks andForestry, Office of Natural Lands Management, Natural HeritageProgram, Trenton, NJ. 107 pages.
From the section titled “Habitats Threatened by InvasiveNonindigenous Plants in New Jersey”
Mike DeVos guided the June Meeting of the Northern Chapter of NPSNJ around thebeautiful oasis at Greater Newark Conservancy.
Native Plant Society of New Jersey Page 5SUMMER 2006
Native PerennialsAsters (Aster/Symphyotrichon spp.)Beardtongue (Penstemon spp.)Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea)/Parsley familyIndigo, blue false (Baptisia australis)Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.)Turtlehead, white (Chelone glabra)Violets (Viola spp.)
Native Grasses/SedgesLittle bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)Panic grasses (Panicum spp.)Purple top grass (Tridens flavens)Sedges (Carex spp.)
Native VinesDutchmans pipe (Aristolochia macrophylla)Wisteria, American (Wisteria frutescens)
Native ShrubsBlueberries (Vaccinium spp.)Chokeberries (Aronia spp.)Dogwoods (Cornus spp.)Meadowsweets (Spiraea spp.)New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus)Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)Viburnums (Viburnum spp.)
Butterfly Larva SpeciesPearly Crescent, Harris & Silvery CheckerspotsBaltimore CheckerspotBlack SwallowtailWild Indigo DuskywingMonarchBaltimore CheckerspotFritillariesWood Nymph, SkippersNorthern Broken dash, Tawny-edged skipperLittle Glassy Wing, Common Wood NymphSkippers, Black DashPipevine SwallowtailSilver Spotted SkipperSummer Azure, Striped HairstreakCoral HairstreakSummer AzureSummer AzureMottled Duskywing, Summer AzureSpicebush SwallowtailHenry’s Elfin, Spring Azure
Native Trees (Host)Birches (Betula spp.)Cedar, Eastern red (Juniperus virginina)Cherry, wild black (Prunus spp.)Cottonwood (Populus spp.)Dogwood, flowering (Cornus florida)Elms (Ulmus, spp.)Hackberry, American (Celtis occidentalis)Hickories (Carya spp.)Holly, American (Ilex opaca)Oaks (Quercus spp.)Paw paw (Asimina triloba)Pines (Pinus spp.)Plum, wild (Prunus spp.)Poplars: incl. Aspens, Cottonwood (Populus spp.)Redbud (Cercis canadensis)Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)Tulip/Yellow Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)Walnuts (Juglans spp.)Willows (Salix spp.)
Butterfly Larva SpeciesCompton Tortoiseshell, Mourning CloakJuniper HairstreakE. Tiger Swallowtail, Coral Hairstreak, SpringAzure, Red-Spotted Purple, White AdmiralE. Tiger Swallowtail, Mourning Cloak,Red-Spotted Purple, White AdmiralSpring AzureE. Comma, Mourning Cloak, Question MarkAmerican Snout, E. Comma, Hackberry &Tawny Emperor, Mourning Cloak, QuestionMarkBanded & Hickory HairstreaksHenry’s ElfinBanded, Striped & White M Hairstreaks,Horace’s, Juvenal’s & Sleepy DuskywingZebra SwallowtailPine ElfinCoral HairstreakCompton Tortoiseshell, Dreamy Duskywing,Mourning Cloak, White Admiral, ViceroyHenry’s ElfinSpicebush SwallowtailE. Tiger SwallowtailBanded HairstreakAcadian Hairstreak, Compton Tortoiseshell,Dreamy Duskywing, Mourning Cloak, N.Willow Hairstreak, Red-Spotted Purple,Viceroy, White Admiral
New Jersey NativeButterfly Nectar PlantsNative Perennials
Asters, esp. NE (Aster spp.)Beardtongues (Penstemon spp.)Beebalm, Bergamot (Mondarda spp.)Blazing stars (Liatris spp.)Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)Coneflowers (Rudbeckia spp.)False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides)Geranium, Wild (Geranium maculatum)Goldenrods (Solidago spp.)Hyssops (Agastache spp.)Ironweeds (Vernonia spp.)Joe Pye weeds (Eupatorium spp.)Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.)Mistflower (Eupatorium coelestinum)Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum muticum)Oxeye Sunflower (Heliopsishelianthoides)Phloxes (Phlox spp.)Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale)Sunflowers (Helianthus spp.)Tickseeds (Coreopsis spp.)Vervain (Verbena canadensis)
Native ShrubsButtonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus)Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
NOTE: These lists include only butterflyhost and nectar plants that are native toNJ and attract butterfly species that aretypically found in the state of NJ. Thereference sources listed below were usedto discern the geographic range and hostplant specificity of the butterfly speciesthat are native to NJ.
Sources of Information:1. USDA, NRCS. 2006. The PLANTS
Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 14July 2006). National Plant Data Center,Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.
2. Joanna Burger and Michael Gochfeld,1997. Butterflies of New Jersey: Aguide to their status, distribution,conservation and appreciation. RutgersUniversity Press, New Brunswick, N.J.
3. Opler, Paul, 1998. A field guide toEastern butterflies. (The Peterson fieldguide series). Houghton Mifflin Co.,New York, NY.
New Jersey Native Butterfly Host Plants
Page 6 Native Plant Society of New Jersey SUMMER 2006
There are butterfly-attracting swamp, common andbutterfly milkweed plants and serviceberry, elderberry,nannyberry and highbush blueberry bushes.
Now things are starting to take shape.Columbine was the first to flower in May. Lurid sedge,
cardinal flower and lance-leafed goldenrod bloom intoOctober.
There is a storm drain at the site — which will help spreadnative plant seeds downstream when it rains, Jennings said.
“This is our bank deposit, and everything that washesdownstream is our interest,” he said.
Another interest is trying to thwart deer whereverpossible.
“Turf grass is what attracts deer. They can eat it, move onand come back a week later and eat there again,” he said,noting the fence protecting the meadow will stay in placefor a couple of years.
There’s about 10 acres of turf grass along the roadshoulders and around Sunrise Lake. If all goes as planned,and the meadow is deemed a success, those areas will alsobe transformed into meadows, Jennings said.
“These native plants are like an old historic home,” hesaid. “We can’t neglect them. They belong here. We need tomaintain them and protect them.”
Bill Swayze may be reached [email protected] or (973) 539-7910.
Source: Sunday, July 09, 2006 Star Ledger (NJ.com)
Native plants find home and future in a meadowcontinued from page 3North Jersey Mountains,
Blueberry Havens Walk up the slopes of any New Jersey mountainand somewhere on the rocky hillsides, you’ll likelycome upon the dense patches of native shrubs thatproduce one of our most loved summer fruits –the wild blueberry (genus Vaccinium). In the spring,delicate, aromatic little white bell-shaped flowershang in clusters surrounded by green thick ovalleaves. Small flying insects and ants pollinate theflowers, stirring the production of the dark bluesweet fruit cherished by birds, rodents, people andother large mammals alike. Black bears are knownto linger in the Vaccinium colonies on summerevenings, daintily plucking each berry from theshrub with their lips, one by one. With the seasonalnesting coming to a close, many bird speciesswitch back to fruits from their previously insect-based diet, ( and true to the synchronized clocksof native species having evolved together) perfectlyin time with the ripening of the blueberries. Peoplewith small baskets roam the hillsides, picking anddreaming of the sweet blue pies, muffins and jamsthey’ll be savoring in the days to come. But it’snot only the “berry-vores” that will benefit fromthe delicious harvest. The shrubs themselves usethe irresistible tasty fruit to spread their seeds farand wide – in the droppings of wild birds andmammals! Other assets to their survival includetheir ability to flourish after ground fires (acharacteristic the native people learned quickly)and the toxicity of their fallen leaves to prospectivetree seedlings around them, keeping the shortshrubs in the full sun where the berries will thrive. With such versatility, hardiness, beauty,wonderful edible fruits and wide range in the state,it’s no wonder why in 2003, The State of NewJersey named the blueberry as its state fruit! Withland preservation efforts and public education,hopefully there will always be sunny mountainslopes in New Jersey where wild blueberries ripenin the sun.
By Mindy Becker Senior Naturalist,Morris County Park Commission Mike DeVos guided the June Meeting of the Northern Chapter of NPSNJ around
the beautiful oasis at Greater Newark Conservancy.
Native Plant Society of New Jersey Page 7SUMMER 2006
Page 8 Native Plant Society of New Jersey SUMMER 2006
Native Plant SocietyExecutive Board 2006
Members at LargeRUSTY BELL
Wall, N.J. • [email protected]
MILLIE LING, [email protected]
LIZ JACKSONNJ DEP Fish & Wildlife
Raingarden Workshop Coordinator
The Native Plant Society of New JerseyCook College • 102 Ryders LaneNew Brunswick, NJ 08901-8519
Special Thanks to the following folks forcontributing to this newsletter:
Mindy Becker, Senior Naturalist,Morris County Park Commission
Rob Jennings,Superintendent of Natural ResourcesManagement,Morris County Park Commission
Don Torino, Education Chairperson,The Bergen County Audubon Society
EARTH Center Tours AvailableDo you want to learn more about local agriculture and the
environment? Ever wonder what methods farmers use to make theirfields so productive? Now your group can take a guided tour at theMiddlesex County EARTH Center to learn about these topics andmore. The EARTH Center is located in Davidson’s Mill Pond Park inSouth Brunswick.
Our demonstration areas include a 1000 square foot vegetablegarden, a 13-bed herb garden and a shade/ornamental tree displayarea just to name a few of the attractions. These displays are used tospark conversation about proper plant culture, Integrated PestManagement, earth-friendly gardening techniques and many topicsthat are the focus of the Extension Agriculture and Natural ResourceManagement Department.
For more information call 732 398 5262.Rutgers Cooperative Research & Extension educational programs
are offered to all without regard to race, religion, color, age, nationalorigin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.
